Pages

Wednesday, 12 June 2013

Pakistan accuses India of airspace violation; IAF downplays

Pakistan Tuesday accused India of violation of its airspace but the Indian Air Force said it appeared to be a “technical violation” as its aircraft on a routine training sortie seemed to have flown close to the border.

A Pakistan Air Force (PAF) spokesman said in Islamabad that two high speed Indian aircraft “violated Pakistani airspace by three nautical miles” at about 10.40 a.m. in Attari-Fazilka sector.

“The aircraft stayed inside Pakistani airspace for about two minutes,” the spokesman said in a statement.

The PAF initiated prompt tactical action and scrambled two fighter aircraft to challenge the “intruders”, the spokesman added.

“It is clarified that IAF aircraft which were on a routine flying training sortie seem to have flown close to the border and it appears to be a technical violation. The same has also been conveyed to the Pakistan authorities,” he said.